A technique for varying firmware for different virtual functions in a virtualized device is provided. The virtualized device includes a hardware accelerator and a microcontroller that executes firmware. The virtualized device is virtualized in that the virtualized device performs work for different virtual functions (with different virtual functions associated with different virtual machines), each function getting a “time-slice” during which work is performed for that function. To vary the firmware, each time the virtualized device switches from performing work for a current virtual function to work for a subsequent virtual function, one or more microcontrollers of the virtualized device examines memory storing addresses for firmware for the subsequent virtual function and begins executing the firmware for that subsequent virtual function. The addresses for the firmware are provided by a corresponding virtual machine at configuration time.
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2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first firmware is associated with a first virtual machine and the second firmware is associated with a second virtual machine.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first firmware includes instructions for the hardware accelerator to process data.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second firmware includes instructions for the hardware accelerator to process data.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardware accelerator comprises a video encoder.
7. The virtualized processing device of claim 6, wherein the first firmware is associated with a first virtual machine and the second firmware is associated with a second virtual machine.
8. The virtualized processing device of claim 6, wherein the first firmware includes instructions for the hardware accelerator to process data.
9. The virtualized processing device of claim 8, wherein the second firmware includes instructions for the hardware accelerator to process data.
10. The virtualized processing device of claim 6, wherein the hardware accelerator comprises a video encoder.
12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the first firmware is associated with a first virtual machine and the second firmware is associated with a second virtual machine.
13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the first firmware includes instructions for the hardware accelerator to process data.
14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the second firmware includes instructions for the hardware accelerator to process data.
15. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the hardware accelerator comprises a video encoder.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 2, 2021
December 17, 2024
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